Chow, Baby
Burger Fever
Far be it from Chow, Baby to pass up a place called Boogie Burger. Chow, Baby was cruising down Lancaster, having just scored -- at Country Meat Market in Handley -- a pair of seriously prime rib-eyes (at $9.99/lb, 37 percent less than at Tom Thumb, and no sucker's, er, shopper's card required). Dreaming of medium rare, Chow, Baby's attention was snatched by a Good Times-style mural behind a glass window; on the glass was painted, sloppily, things like "Boogie Burger Special $2.99" and "Grill Chicken Sandwich Basket $2.25." Chow, Baby pulled a U-ey at Beach and hastened back six blocks. Inside the small, six-bistro-tables space is the handiwork of at least six decorators. The Botero-meets-Basquiat mural takes up the left wall; on the right is a fake Brit telephone booth, red; next to that is a jukebox with lots of B.B. King and Al Green and, oddly, one Kenny G. Opposite the jukebox, a huge television set was tuned to The Jamie Foxx Show. Chow, Baby hadn't realized the phrase "My bad" was still au courant. Forgetting the steaks baking in the car, Chow, Baby considered the half-pound Afro Burger basket ($4.99, includes chili, cheese, mushrooms, crispy grilled onions, and everything else in the kitchen, plus curly fries and drink) and the Jungle Fever Tortilla Salad ($4.25 for large). The final selection, a nicely spiced pork chop sandwich ($2.50), was delicious if tricky, as it was bone-in. For dessert, Chow, Baby ordered a small Boogie Burger and was happy with the price and the juicy meat ... juicy meat ... whoops, the rib-eyes!
Thai Supply Chow, Baby really must do something about this attention deficit disorder. Rushing back to the car to rescue those prime -- seriously prime, remember -- steaks, Chow, Baby spotted a Thai restaurant just three doors up from Boogie Burger. Since a loyal reader had recently expressed frustration in finding good panang beef ever since the late, lamented Bangkok Cuisine found nirvana, Chow, Baby was duty-bound to check out this Bangkok City. Panang beef (or chicken, pork, or seafood) is usually made with curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, red chilis, and lime and basil leaves. Peanuts, or peanut butter, are optional, though not to Chow, Baby's loyal reader. Full of Boogie Burger, Chow, Baby ordered panang beef ($6.50) to go, for a midnight snack. Alas, a communication error found Chow, Baby noshing on panang chicken at 1 am. No great loss: Large chunks of white-meat chicken in a zingy, creamy sauce combined nicely with fluffy jasmine rice. But no peanuts, darn it all.
Returning the next day for another shot at the panang beef, Chow, Baby was led astray by Bangkok City's amazing pan-Asian buffet ($6 lunch Mon-Fri, $7 dinner Thur-Fri). Pad thai, California rolls, beef broccoli, chop suey, beef in oyster sauce, chicken curry -- everything was hot, delicious, and tasted fresh-made. During April, Bangkok City's Thursday and Friday evening buffet (5-9 pm) is buy one, get one free. If only Country Meat Market would run such a sale, so Chow, Baby could replace the steaks that it just remembered are still in the car. Whoops.
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